If you've ever wondered, where have all the versatile song-and-dance men gone, you've missed Jeffry Denman somewhere along the way. Denman is a dynamo, jazzy around the edges, romantic in his heart and a nimble tap-dancer in his soul. He brought his show, Jazz Turns, to Birdland, a collection, he says, of "Broadway tunes through jazz textures." He was backed by the Joshua Pearl Classic Jazz Trio and the theatrical talents of Nancy Anderson and, from The Apple Tree, Brian D'Arcy James and Dennis Stowe.

Denman is blessed with an engaging personality that connects him easily with the audience. He has a definite point of view for his show. With a smooth, agreeable singing voice, he effectively rendered "Not While I'm Around" (Stephen Sondheim), after an anecdote about his father about to undergo surgery. He offered a lovely rendition of Kander and Ebb's "My Own Space", and delivered Weill and Lerner's touching "Love Song."

Denman joined in an amiable, gentle harmony with Nancy Anderson for Sondheim's "Who Could Be Blue?"/"Little White House." The mood was more intense in another Sondheim duet, this one with Brian D'Arcy James, "Pretty Women" paired with "Agony."

He used the small stage imaginatively for some impressive tapping and was particularly spirited with Dennis Stowe; the two challenged the limited space with "Moving Too Fast" by Jason Robert Brown.

The most interpretive song was a lethargic "Tea For Two," a sprightly tune that lost its charm in ballad time.

The show is less about the spontaneous rhythms of jazz and more about personal interpretations, but there is no doubt that Jeffry Denman can captivate his audience on any stage.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
February 19, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org